Color is playing an increasingly important role in computer graphics. Broader affordability and availability of computer controlled systems with color processing capabilities will promote wider acceptance and use of color in document-intensive industries or document-intensive functional areas of enterprises. As a result, there is a steadily increasing use of computer based color presentation programs by computer users with little or no training in color science and in the aesthetic and technical uses of color. These users are often dissatisfied with the aesthetics of the final product produced by the color tools that are available. Users seldom are able to focus on the relationship among colors and color differences. Various color selection systems ignore principles of color perception theory that human perception of color is influenced by the effect of adjacent colors which a color is viewed, and the illumination under which that color is viewed. A perceptually uniform color space which more closely approximates how humans perceive colors and color differences facilitates color specification tasks. CIELAB color space is a perceptually uniform color space in which the numerical magnitude of a color difference bears a direct relationship to a perceived color appearance difference.
A seasoned color expert (human) may be able to visually determine which spot colors are best to use on a given marking device from a color difference perspective. However, the average user/customer of document reproduction devices is not likely to have the experience and visual acuity to select colors best viewed under different lighting sources. Having precise metrics, from a color difference perspective, for a given spot color at the start of a print/copy job greatly benefits system operators in their print/copy job environments.
Accordingly, what is needed in this art are increasingly sophisticated systems and methods for generating a reference color difference quantity guide based upon a reference color difference quantity metric calculated for a library of spot colors of a device for use in spot color print applications.